In this month's blog, we will be discussing flatulence in dogs, the main causes of it, how it can be dangerous for our pups and most importantly what we can do as dog paw-rents to help reduce it.

So, if your dog passes more gas than what you think is usual, then keep on reading to find out some useful information!

What is flatulence?

Flatulence is a build up of gas in your dog's intestinal tract and colon. The passing of gas is quite normal in pups, but when it becomes more frequent, more excessive and more smelly, it can start to become more of an issue. Not only for your dog, but for our noses too!

Why do some dogs suffer from flatulence? And why can it be dangerous?

Flatulence in our dogs is commonly caused by your dog's diet. This can be if they've been eating something new, or had a change in their diet that their digestive system is just not agreeing with. Certain ingredients in some dog food brands don't provide any nutritional benefit to our dogs and these can lead to your dog having allergies and intolerances. Flatulence is one of the many signs of allergies and/or intolerances in our dogs.

Another reason why your dog might be expecting flatulence is they are finding that the food they are eating is hard to digest. These can be ingredients which contain dairy products or have a high fat content. These generally are not ideal for our dogs anyway.

Additionally flatulence in dogs could be a sign of issues with the digestive system such as things like gastrointestinal conditions or an inflammatory bowel disease.

Not matter the cause for flatulence, it can cause some pain and discomfort in dogs like stomach cramps. Sometimes it's difficult to tell when your dog is experience discomfort, or pain and at time this can be shown through behaviour issues such as chewing things around the house or eating things that they wouldn't usually.

Flatulence can be quite common in older dogs. This is because as dogs become older, their digestive system slows down. It because less active which can result in more passing of gas.

4 ways to help to reduce flatulence

1. A healthy, consistent  diet.
It is vital to feed your dog a healthy and consistent diet, with a variety of natural ingredients that are specifically chosen for the needs of your dog. Not only to reduce flatulence, but for the all round health and well-being of your dog, short and long term.

 

2. Avoid feeding table scraps.
It's a well-known rule to not feed your dog any table scraps. Not only is it bad learnt behaviours which could result in them being disruptive at meal times, jumping up at the table etc., but the food itself is most likely not going to be healthy or good for their digestive system. By avoiding giving them any leftover, unwanted table scraps, you're reducing the chance of any unwelcome flatulence.

3. Avoid dairy products
Another way to resolve and reduce any flatulence in dogs is to not feed them any diary products, especially milk. Some dogs can be allergic or intolerant to the protein found in milk. If this is the case, it can lead to bloating, loose stools and flatulence. If this happens, it's more than likely that your pet is lactose intolerant.

4. Exercise!
Exercise is of course a very important and a very necessary factor. It's what will keep your dog healthy and fit all round. Make sure that your dog is getting plenty of exercise and playtime fun. This will help them to digest their food better and hopefully will help shift any unnecessary flatulence.

 

Healthy Paws reduces flatulence

At Healthy Paws, our nutritionists have worked really hard to develop a range of dog food that contains not only wholesome natural ingredients but ingredients that have a real benefits to the well-being of your dog.

Our recipes contain ingredients which help to reduce flatulence in dogs. The insoluble fibre and pre-biotic nature of millet aids good intestinal health, helping to reduce flatulence. Insoluble fibre is great for creating movement in the gastrointestinal tract, making it helpful for those dogs who suffer with constipation and a build up of gas in the intestinal tract. Millet is a great carbohydrate alternative compared to others and is much easier to digest. This is great for dogs who find it hard to digest certain foods and suffer with flatulence.

Our recipes for senior dogs contain lighter ingredients such as chicken and rice. This is easier for senior dogs to tolerate and digest, therefore keeping any flatulence minimal.